AEW has modified the format of the AEW World Tag Team Championship match at Forbidden Door following backstage resistance from the reigning champions Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin. The match, which will also feature Bandido and Brody King, has been restructured into a three-team elimination contest.
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According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, AEW originally intended for FTR to win the titles at Forbidden Door. The plan was to transition the belts to FTR and move them into a feud with Adam Copeland and Christian Cage, with a match set for All Out on September 20. Lashley and Benjamin, however, were not willing to take a direct loss to FTR.
Faced with the impasse, AEW considered two options. One idea involved scripting a storyline injury for Benjamin to explain a title change. The other, which was ultimately selected, introduced a third team into the match, ensuring that Lashley and Benjamin would not be pinned or submitted directly by FTR.
Another detail noted was that AEW did not announce the elimination stipulation during its televised programming. Instead, the company confirmed the rule exclusively through its official social media channels.
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